Council committee leaves $25,000 avian‑flu wastewater surveillance request in committee for more data

The Salem City Council on March 27 did not approve a $25,000 appropriation for wastewater surveillance for highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1); the Administration and Finance Committee voted unanimously to leave the request in committee.

Health agent Dave Greenbaum requested the funding to add avian influenza testing to the city’s existing wastewater testing, currently performed for COVID‑19 by BioBot Analytics. Committee members said they appreciated a proactive public‑health approach but asked for more data and Board of Health input before spending city funds.

Committee discussion noted limited local incidence: Essex County had no confirmed cases in the previous 18 months and there had been one death nationally referenced in the committee report. Councilors raised options including regional cost‑sharing, animal‑registration programs to monitor domestic flocks, and awaiting additional state data. "I would be supportive of reintroducing registering your animals, birds specifically, so that we have a sense of how many there are," Councilor Watzenfeld said during the committee recap.

The committee also discussed how COVID wastewater testing has been funded by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and whether that funding model would continue for avian influenza testing.

The committee voted to leave the matter in committee and requested additional information from the Board of Health; the Board of Health was expected to meet on April 8 to discuss the topic. No appropriation was approved at this meeting.